A Seattle-based energy startup is offering U.S. consumers and businesses a way to get power from their neighbours’ rooftop solar systems, nearby wind farms and other sources of clean electricity.

Drift Marketplace Inc. is rolling out the service now in New York and plans to expand to other markets this year, according to CEO Greg Robinson.

The company charges customers a flat fee, and then uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to predict how much energy customers will need. It gets the power a day ahead from nearby solar plants, wind farms and other resources, and if demand exceeds supply, will use a high-frequency wholesale power-trading system to cover any shortages. Robinson says customers will typically save money compared with their regular utility bills.

Robinson says he wanted to build a service that lets people gain control over their energy supply, in the same way that such big corporations as Amazon.com Inc. and Microsoft Corp. are doing.

“We thought if they can see the value, we can build a software platform that helps everyone have that same value,” he says.

The retail electricity market can be brutally competitive as companies work with thin margins and jostle to add customers. In the U.S., 17 states and the District of Columbia offer retail choice programs that let consumers buy power from competitive retail suppliers, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. Falling prices for solar and wind are making those offerings more attractive.

Drift said its software lets it reduce administrative and billing costs that typically flow through to utility customers. Customers pay weekly and have an option to get all of their power from emission-free sources.